Marine mineralsLike a clump of sea urchins lurking in a coral cavelet, beautiful sprays of the zeoli

Marine mineralsLike a clump of sea urchins lurking in a coral cavelet, beautiful sprays of the zeolite mineral natrolite have grown within an old gas bubble cavity (known as vesicles) from the Deccan trapp basalts of India (see http://on.fb.me/1ByYtnX). Named in 1803 after the ancient name for sodium and the Greek lithos (for stone), it is a hydrated sodium aluminium silicate that forms as the cooling basalts stew in a mixture of their own juices and mineralised groundwater. For obvious reasons its colloquial name is needle stone. It can be melted in a candle flame, and will turn it yellow due to its sodium content. We shared another amazing Deccan geode with zeolite minerals at http://on.fb.me/1VqevbG).LozImage credit:: Christian Brodmann -- source link

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